Ésaïe 26:13-21

13 Éternel notre Dieu, d'autres seigneurs que toi ont dominé sur nous; c'est grâce à toi seul que nous pouvons invoquer ton nom.

14 Ils sont morts, ils ne revivront pas; ils ont péri, ils ne se relèveront plus; tu les as châtiés et détruits; tu as anéanti même leur souvenir.

15 Tu as accru la nation, Éternel, tu as accru la nation; tu t'es glorifié, tu as reculé toutes les limites du pays!

16 Éternel, dans la détresse ils ont recouru à toi; ils ont répandu leurs plaintes quand ton châtiment a été sur eux.

17 Comme la femme enceinte, près d'enfanter, est en travail et crie dans ses douleurs, tels nous avons été, loin de ta face, ô Éternel!

18 Nous avons conçu, nous avons été en travail; nous n'avons enfanté que du vent, nous ne saurions accomplir le salut du pays, ni faire naître sur la terre de nouveaux habitants.

19 Tes morts revivront; mes corps morts se relèveront! Réveillez-vous et chantez de joie, habitants de la poussière! Car ta rosée est comme la rosée de l'aurore, et la terre fera renaître les trépassés.

20 Va, mon peuple, entre dans tes chambres, et ferme les portes derrière toi. Cache-toi pour un petit moment, jusqu'à ce que l'indignation soit passée.

21 Car voici, l'Éternel sort de sa demeure, pour punir l'iniquité des habitants de la terre. Alors la terre laissera voir le sang versé sur elle et ne cachera plus ses morts.

Ésaïe 26:13-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 26

This chapter contains a song of praise for the safety and prosperity of the church, and the destruction of its enemies. The church is represented as a strong city, whose walls and bulwarks are salvation, Isa 26:1 it is said to have gates which are to be opened to a righteous nation, Isa 26:2 its inhabitants, being such who trust in the Lord, are promised perfect peace, Isa 26:3 hence the saints are exhorted to trust in him, Isa 26:4 then follows an account of another city, described as lofty, and its inhabitants as dwelling on high, who are brought down, and trampled on, by the feet of the poor and needy, Isa 26:5,6 when the prophet returns to the righteous, and asserts their way to be uprightness, because their path is weighed or levelled by God the most upright, Isa 26:7 and in the name of the church declares that they had waited for the Lord in the way of his judgments; and that the desire of their souls was to his name, and the remembrance of it; and that they continued, and would continue, to desire him, and seek after him, seeing righteousness was to be learned by his judgments, Isa 26:8,9 and though the wicked would not be brought to repentance and reformation by the goodness of God, nor take notice of his hand, yet they should see and be ashamed, and destroyed at last, Isa 26:10,11 but notwithstanding these judgments of God in the earth, the church professes her faith in the Lord, that he would give her peace and prosperity, from the consideration of what he had wrought for her, and in her, Isa 26:12 and rejects all other lords but him, Isa 26:13 who were dead, and should not live again, but were visited and destroyed, and their memory made to perish, Isa 26:14 but the righteous nation should be increased, though they should meet with trouble, which would cause them to go to the throne of grace, and there pour out their complaints, express their pain and distresses, and the disappointments they had met with, Isa 26:15-18 to which an answer is returned, promising a glorious resurrection, Isa 26:19 and calling upon the people of God to retire to their chambers for protection in the mean while, until the punishment to be inflicted on the inhabitants of the earth for their sins was over, Isa 26:20,21.